Traveling abroad as a single parent

[singlemumma99]

Hello, I’m looking for advice regarding taking my 2 year old boy away on holiday as a single parent. My child’s father doesn’t have anything to do with my child and doesn’t pay any money towards him yet I’ve read online that I need his permission to be able to take my little boy on holiday! I have tried contacting his dad to ask his permission and he is just ignoring me. Any advice on what I can do to be able to take him abroad. Tia x

I’ve never been asked
do you have the same surname as your son?
there are certain countries that are more strict on this if you google it

No so my sons surname on his birth certificate is different to mine and his dads

I've never taken any letters from my child's dad giving permission. (And I was never asked for this).
I did take her birth certificate with me so I could show I was her mum. But we have different surnames that's why

Thank you! Can I ask where did you go on holiday? So I have an idea of where I can go without having to his written permission

Hope you managed to book somewhere. We’ve done Finland, Denmark and Italy twice as Mum and daughter. Off to France this year on another solo adventure as well as somewhere else possibly in the med in October. Although I haven’t ruled out further afield. I’ve never been asked about second parent and we don’t share a surname

I have a different last name than my children and last time I arrived back in the UK from France, I was asked whether I had the whole letter if permission malarkey - and I happened to have done it that time! So I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't had it. Sorry, what a stressful situation for you.

I’ve been to France, several Greek islands, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal and my ex has taken the children to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, US, Italy, Turkey and Egypt. Neither of us have ever taken a letter and never been questioned. Which probably means the system is failing lol!